The decision of the Election Commission of India to put on hold the implementation of Dalit Bandhu, the pet scheme of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in Huzurabad assembly constituency has kicked up a debate as to whom would it benefit in the by-elections.
Though it is considered to be a setback for the TRS as it has been trying to gain the maximum mileage through the scheme, the postponement has come as a sort of blessing in disguise for the ruling party.
The TRS has already started blaming it on the Bharatiya Janata Party and its candidate Eatala Rajender stating that they had brought pressure on the EC to get the Dalit Bandhu scheme postponed.
The TRS leaders said the BJP was apprehensive that the implementation of the scheme would prove nemesis for Rajender in the by-elections.
On the other hand, the BJP leaders have shot back saying the TRS was responsible for the postponement of the scheme.
According to them, the TRS government has released money for the scheme only on paper and not a single beneficiary has been able to draw money under the scheme till now.
“As it realised that such delay would cost the ruling party heavily in the by-elections, it managed the EC to postpone the scheme, so that it would get the mileage by throwing blame on the BJP,” the BJP leaders said.
Surprisingly, the EC took the decision only 11 days before the polling, though the TRS leaders have been campaigning about the Dalit Bandhu scheme for a long time. Even if it is postponed now, it hardly makes any difference in the polling, say experts.
“The polling in Huzurabad will not take place on the plank of Dalit Bandhu. The voters are viewing it as a fight between KCR and Rajender. They have already made up their mind as to who they should vote for,” an analyst said.
